What G1 Transformers Almost Looked Like

[@Midrealm_DM]

6:28 - What are you talking about? the Autobots had Punch/Counterpunch and the Decepticons had Doubledealer. The Doubledealer figure had Autobot symbols in the humanoid Robot mode and the bird mod had Decepticon symbols. with the vehicle mode showing neither faction symbol.

[@BatFan1]

What blows my mind is that, these designs are with the intent to make transformable toys given the engineering of that time, so some limitations and compromises had to be made. Now imagine how radically different some of these concepts and other familiar ones could've been if they were just designing characters for an animated show and not a toyline. Maybe we wouldve gotten an Optimus Prime with wings for ears instead of the familiar long antenna.

[@Frosted_Moontips]

6:20 This kinda looks like a G1 version of Armada Sideways with the thorny crown head and such, might have been the inspiration for said Armada toy??

[@konvoi]

Seeing Hardhead and Crosshair's prototypes, I can really see the Gundam Influence.

[@Heroduothecomedian]

Beat me to it lol glad I'm not the only one seeing it

[@richardsmith6528]

7:15. The head is used on Computron. Wheel Jack ended up with the wide ears. 20:03. Bayverse Barricade head.

[@Wheels84ss]

The wide ear look Goes back to the manzinger/Go Lion/ Robo Grendizer super robot looks. Something you saw in a lot of 70s anime.

[@realINTERNETFRIEND]

Cool video! Galaxy Force/Cybertron has always been a favorite of mine and seeing these concept art it's neat to find out they recycled more than a few ideas from G1 concepts to make Galaxy Force characters.

[@ZZtheDark]

2:30, matches the character model tho this was surprising considering the Quintessons were supposed to be followers of Unicron so I assumed the Sharkticons would be doing the same since the Quints are their masters. 3:18, makes sense since the TFs after Season 3 seem to be more space themed. 3:41, WAIT!!! LOOK AT THE BOTTOM ROBOT: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXO5ZJdjrLaCbNU That's the same guy in Fortress' backstory from Headmasters!! 0.0 4:14, look at the bottom of the feet of the giant bot. The 2 are Feet-masters! 4:30, look at the giant man's shoulders! That top robot seems like it can be placed in that compartment. 6:13, reminds me of Sideways. 7:00, KISAMA OVERLORD!! 7:41, good ol' Shoji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake style. 10:01,Macross. 11:15, funny enough Fort Max's original design had Convoy's original head design from here from one point. Interesting. 12:05, greatest leader of his time. 12:27, Ultra MAGNUS!! 13:53, Headmaster. 15:43, who...Macross looking thing... 16:56, 0.0 17:01, totally Macross inspired. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hl7VZaquar-Mfqs 18:09, Quickswitch - his son. So glad to still have my Sixshot after all these years.

[@d.w.saurus5831]

dino nerd here i think the rhino mode at 19:06 might be more based on a dinosaur like styracosaurus with the spiky bits coming from the back of the head and what looks like a thick tail coming out the back end.

[@garethmalsbury6882]

So technically two dinosaur modes imagine if there was a dinobot sixchanger of the existing dinobots but all as one robot

[@goktimusprime]

The reason why Powermaster Optimus Prime's Roller was abandoned is due to budget reasons. It would have made the toy exceed its budget and allocated price point, and so it was scrapped. Although both PM OP and Ginrai's trailer still has the compartment and ramp in the trailer that would house Roller. If you put the super robot head inside the trailer, you can easily see how it would have fit. The Godbomber prototypes were also abandoned as they were also too expensive to produce. The final product is much cheaper because it had to conform to the price point. P.S.: The Armoured Action Master concept was realised in the second year of Action Masters (1991). e.g. Sideswipe, Bombshell, Tracks etc.

[@grimprime6451]

Overlord is a duocon change my mind

[@hotwheelsbrothers687]

He is actually not! He just has 2 sepreate alt modes which could combine into one bot

[@tyeohno]

@@hotwheelsbrothers687 Just like a Duocon?

[@blobbles5973]

@@hotwheelsbrothers687That’s a duocon

[@weirdkitty07]

At 9:20, that version of Metroplex reminds me of High Tech, or Hi Tek, the fan concept that never got past alt Transformers. The Carda city bot basically. It was in a lost stop motion version. It's not him though. Great minds think alike. It could have made a neat Robotech crossover homage. They just needed to make those legs different, slimmer.

[@Midrealm_DM]

11:47 - Wheeljack, Sunstreaker

[@murdermusprime7065]

Wasn't the BRAVE series originally going to be a continuation of transformers?? 🤔

[@Trebleshot]

Yes it was. Even some of the molds were re-used for early Brave series.

[@RobotsRobots]

Loved this one. Always like seeing the historical stuff and what could have been.

[@pizzacade8594]

10:15 This art seems to have been slightly altered to become his finalized box art judging by the placement of his legs.

[@weirdkitty07]

At about 5:40 in that is Night Racer. Or at least someone very similar. Just have her painted black or blue with gold highlights. Blue in Auotobot mode. Bot Con 1994 version is very similar. She is also the real first fan made female Autobot and Decepticon as she kept changing sides. She was meant to be in Generation 2.

[@Midrealm_DM]

4:20 - Based on the color scheme of the figure in the bottom right this is composed of the two vehicles housed in Fort Max's feet. Making the figure Cog. So I think that is Gasket and Grommet which would mean we did get them. As for the figure in the upper right, I would hazard a guess it might be early art for the 'headmaster' Cerebros figure. The figure's large red feet appear to be sticking out of Max's right shoulder area. But its hard to tell. Perhaps this was before they came up with the Headmaster gimmick? There also appears to be a mini-figure (or something) seated in the center of Fort Max's chest cavity. but that may be my imagination.

[@Protosilver97]

No, there is someone. The characters looks like Dragstrip.

[@DenGreatshot]

That early yellow multichanger reminds me an awful lot of Armada Tidal Wave. Wonder if they kept that in mind all those years or just coincidence. Also kinda sad we never got that almost finalized, slightly different Yellow Sixshot. As you can guess by my handle here, his other retool is one of my favorites.

[@weirdkitty07]

Yep, Robotech Sixshot. The alt Transformers version was called the JWS Cat as a riff on SDF One.

[@pizzacade8594]

14:39 According to Ask Vector Prime, in some universities, Apex Bomber, the renamed American reissue version of Godbomber, is in fact an upgraded Roller.

[@goktimusprime]

Rubbish historical revisionism

[@LunaticPrime]

I would have loved to get Inferno in this design. Overlord's head looks like G1 toy Trailbreaker's. That Optimus Prime with the lion helmet looks like an Actionmaster with a Targetmaster partner like they actually did a lot of those.

[@SpaceManRD]

Sixshot reminds me of a Rubik's Snake, particularly in that all of his modes just look like one folded up in different ways.

[@jmautobot]

Amazing topic... Love your variety and uniqueness compared to others.

[@notgray88]

i love how you always manage to cover something new and interesting in your videos! After 9+ years collecting and interacting with the fandom, I have grown tired of the TF series as a whole, but still always come back to watch these videos.

[@TomMSTie1138]

I like the idea of the original Diaclone version of Inferno is his pre-Earth mode and the additional weapons tie-in to his Alt mode.

[@medafan53]

17:16 I wouldn't mind seeing someone, be it HasTak or 3rd Party, take a crack at this design, maybe a bit tidier in the robot mode, perhaps a higher parts count to make it transform a bit more smoothly, but it does look kinda cool

[@catamonga3837]

11:36 wheeljack?

[@jupiterlair4968]

Jackimus Prime XD

[@michaelthorn3983]

I suspect the wide eared heads also didnt work because it may have been difficult to have a mold for the heads when they were mass produced, as well as the risk of things snapping off when transforming. I can think of Wheeljacks head but then it had the back panel so the front of the head could be slated onto the panel.

[@TrueKoalaKnight]

Crosshairs always looked like a space exploration buggy type vehicle to me.

[@andrewtorrez4093]

I think the roads-for-legs dude might have been an early Grandus? (What we got wasn't particularly great, either.)

[@weirdkitty07]

Seeing that old SixShot drawing after all this time. Nice.

[@tonyjackson4078]

Wide ears aren't a thing? WheelJack would like a word.

[@alexharvey8291]

Sunstreaker too

[@elipse371]

Some of these designs look very Kunio Okawara (designer of the original Gundam and Gundam MSV, along with much else) in design, in both color and build

[@ZZtheDark]

The Diaclone stuff, you can def see Kazutaka Miyatake as well as Shoji Kawamori in it due to their interest in creating a Gundam-like thing which led to Macross.

[@USSMariner]

Yellow Sixshot's jet mode has a very Ralph McQuarrie look to it in those illustrations, as if it would be at home in the original Star Wars or classic Battlestar Galactica (or Buck Rodgers in the 25th century, since that show famously used the original BSG Viper design before it was changed to the familiar tri-engined affair).

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

I have actually watched a few of their transformers commercial compilations on their KZbin channel.

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

If there was a Decepticon equivalent of Punch/Counterpunch, the war would be over in a week. Unlike the more pacifistic Autobots, the Decepticons would have no qualms about using their spy as an assassin, or to plant bombs in the Autobot HQ...

[@mettaton1669]

15:36 I saw the chest peice and immediately thought it was Star Saber

[@havokan45]

there is a Video of Predaking toys combining in to a Dragon for 86 Movie but it don't look right so it gone back to the drawing board .

[@windsweeper8002]

That Megatron art looks very like Browning. The Autobot robot mode of the double spy looks very like one of the European G2 Stormtroopers.

[@maxtube444]

Ngl I really love some of those sixshot alt modes. I’d love to see them return somewhere

[@Tributronbluewhiteman]

I really dig those sixshot concept artwork

[@bilal_Hadjlaoui907]

G1 is always our childhood,and its the classic that started all and the designs never get old tbh

[@Jimboliah3985]

Armada gang here.

[@Protosilver97]

Flexing on my movie era.

[@Protosilver97]

Maybe Sixshot was an autobot at the start. The design with a good car mode and a T-rex mode looks like an autobot more than a decepticon.

[@KnightedSilverWolf]

man, i miss your old rock intro. it was awesome. bring it back

[@SylentEcho]

Nice one. More G1 content please! Subbed

[@alexjames4019]

For the ears thing there's maybe Sunstreaker?

[@captainthiccnick]

As far as punch counterpunch goes by chance do you remember Sideways from the Unicron trilogy?

[@weirdkitty07]

That alt Magnus Powered Convoy concept is cool. They should do that for an exclusive.

[@Gripen1974]

The yellow sixshot and blue and white overlord is awesome

[@Transfixed]

Mindblowing stuff! Wheeljack had a wide head i'd say.

[@OptimusPhillip]

Wheeljack and Sunstreaker had wide ears

[@Isolder74]

I was going to say the same thing. Does the spikes on the side of wildrider's head count as wide ears?

[@OptimusPhillip]

@@Isolder74 I don't think he had those on the toy

[@Isolder74]

@@OptimusPhillip I’d have to check but given he’s a scrabble city bot. It does seem the toy doesn’t have it. The animation model does.

[@NovaSaber]

The figure that became Megatron was sold both with and without the attachments in Microchange, so even the final version was (probably) otherwise finished before ever getting the arm cannon. Spiky Counterpunch looks more like a "superpowered evil mode" than a "disguise". I really like that carrier/tank/dragon multi-changer.

[@svartmetallyst7712]

6:00 It seems to me that Sideways in G1 could look something like this

[@robrice7246]

1:49/1:59 Selects repaint?

[@bigstve61345]

I would love for that Wreck-gar as a selects release!!

[@weirdkitty07]

Ha, that Megs, they even drew in his trigger thing.

[@Anshelm77]

11:30 Another thing that comes to mind is that they'd probably break easily... like that's ever held back toy designers.

[@sebastianthomsen2225]

SUPER COOL VID!!!!! :D 👍

[@vustvaleo8068]

"realistic colored" Hardhead reminds me of tanks from a Real Robot anime in the likes of Gundam and Dougram.

[@CardboardBots]

Educational

[@Han-rw9ev]

They should revisit these designs at some point.

[@Galavard06]

16:22, I thought that was star saber…

[@AutobotWonko]

I wondered all my life why Powermaster Optimus Prime was not a Double Master with a robot head.

[@Unicronsupreme]

The concept Convoy heard looks a lot like the concept head on Fort Max.

[@weirdkitty07]

The alternate six shots would be cool as toys. Yeah.

[@RangerOkie88]

9:35 .. wouldn’t mind if they make tht figure..

[@weirdkitty07]

Powermaster Gingrai Prime with Headmaster roller would have been good too.

[@johnosbourn4312]

This was very fascinating, TJ!

[@Doc_Ice_Fox]

Would SunStreaker count as wide ears? If they're ears.. If so he made it in G1

[@tjmb]

Yeah, him and Wheeljack would both count. 👍

[@robrice7246]

13:17 So that's where the Titans Return design team took the inspiration for their Powermaster Prime from?

[@medafan53]

11:55 choug - Wheeljack! - cough

[@eventprogenitor1873]

Platic mold injection was not good for think plastic parts andif they did not get the pressure and volume and temp just right the plastic dose not make it into hose parts just like POTP cutthroat and his head pegs that are 3mm but some are smoothed off due to lack of plastic flow and thus the head issue we got now.

[@TheAxelandx1]

Funny how the last G1 Six Shot prototype has the Yellow, red and purple highlights just like Energon Six Shot. I wonder if that's intentional.

[@WhitzWolf92]

I noticed that too, and was just scrolling through to see if anyone else had. Quick, someone add that to TFWiki!

[@A_Cozey_Dunt]

I think that 2003 reissue PMOP tried saving face with the lack of Roller by implying that he was rebuilt into Apex Bomber (Godbomber)

[@otaking3582]

I just see those wide ears and I think of either some type of bovine or Daizyujin

[@Unicronsupreme]

I kinda want a third party company to make that concept sixshot.

[@Tracks2008]

Those things are hideous I am very pleased that those abominations were changed to the excellent designs we got.

[@tracytron7162]

6:40 I wouldn't really say that there aren't autobot duocons, I mean landcross exists, it's basically the exact same thing but with a combine mode as well

[@ventusgale6203]

Not really the same cos duocons are 2 vehicles with no individual robot mode combine to make 1 robot , basically just 1 guy split into 2 vehicles while each of landcross vehicles all have their own individual robot mode while also form top and bottom like Engeron autobots

[@weirdkitty07]

Robotech meets God Bomber. Nice.

[@robrice7246]

10:50 I want to say that's where the animators for the G1 cartoon used this as the basis for Megs' animation model.

[@Excellsion]

The thumbnail Sixshot looks like the Supernova from Exo-Force.

[@cliffjumper1984]

The car part Dino made me laugh

[@Land_Sea_Skylar]

Why does the sharkticon look like bw ironhide

[@weirdkitty07]

The Convoy is actually God Gingrai. Powermaster Optimus Prime. The next is closer.

[@ManxoChu]

Wheeljack feels a bit offended. XD

[@ORLY911]

Gold Sixshot is pretty rad, actually.

[@AustynSN]

Learning the info about Roller as PMOP's head reminds me of something. As a kid, I thought "Hi-Q" should have been both the head and the engine for Optimus. I mean, come on, the name "Hi-Q" fits a head far better than an engine.

[@Cdr2002]

It is a super Headmastery name

[@TheCADDGUY]

weapons transforming into armor would have been better - especially if arm armor or leg armor, instead of just helms

[@marsandcobbles2404]

Legacy needs to do these repaints😊

[@kernow5000]

Wide ears - diaclone just like metroplex

[@thedesucomplex4365]

is it possible the cityformer at 9:30 was a concept that later got turned into trypticon? the legs being one solid chunk feels conducive to his gimmick and he could have had a humanoid mode at one point

[@jeffmacdonald4810]

Cool video

[@saimaidar9417]

I think the third city-former might be an early concept of Trypticon the legs and behind the head structure looks more like Trypticon.

[@serPomiz]

that other spychanger is litterally armada sideways, ten years prior the wide ears is a design element that comes from go nagai, a whole sleuth of japanes bots have those same heads during sketching, even if those are completelly unapplicable to the final design S6 face is the same face of Gigatron, just less annoyed

[@LongestRunningSuperHeroRPG]

Cool video.

[@RialVestro]

While we're on the subject of concepts... I think after Beast Machines you should do a video on the TransTech concept that got cancelled and how many of those concepts eventually got reused in other media.

[@jboy667]

in victory optimus clone got rebuilt into a lion autobot known as victory leo so not the first lion optimus

[@aaronlaluzerne6639]

Honestly, I see no reason why Hasbro can't do an Autobot repain of SixShot now with the red, yellow, and blue color scheme and yellow and black robot that turns into a motorcycle can work as well. Insert they call me mellow yellow song here.

[@CyberVforVictory]

TJ: I can't think of any transformers with wide ears on the side of their head. Wheeljack: Am I a joke to you?

[@Lancewing]

Don’t forget Sunstreaker.